I ran the hikers trail from the floor of the caldera near Paulina Lake to the summit in about 40 minutes. I didn't stay on the trail the whole way and bushwhacked whenever I felt I could save time. I was in a "race" with my wife who was biking the forest service road. There were portions of the road still covered in snow. We met at the top and enjoyed the sight of Hood, Jefferson and the Three Sisters in the distance. Plus the lakes below with their gnarled lava and obsidian shores made for a fantastic view. Fort Rock and the desert to the South and Southeast are unlike anything in the Cascades but they had to wait for another day. (You can reach Fort Rock by driving out over the Eastern edge of the crater's rim if you don't mind traveling 30 miles on a washboard road.) Anyway, the 360 degree view with its variety of landscapes makes this simple climb worthwhile.